9 min
Larissa Sansour
Short Sci-Fi
2012 - Denmark, Palestine
North American Premiere
Nation Estate is a quirky sci-fi exploration of a vertical solution to Palestinian statehood. Palestinians have a state in the form of a single skyscraper: the Nation Estate. The colossal high-rise houses the entire Palestinian population. Each city has its own floor that includes iconic landmarks in the lobby. Intercity trips previously marred by checkpoints are now made by elevator. Featuring Sansour in a futuristic folklore suit, we experience the Nation Estate as she returns home from a trip abroad and makes a plate of sci-fi tabouleh. In 2011, three early photo sketches developed for the Lacoste Elysée Prize was at the centre of a censorship controversy when the prize sponsor, French fashion giant Lacoste, decided to ban the photos from the competition, labelling them 'too pro-Palestinian' for the brand to support.
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen: Prize of the Ecomenical Jury; International Festival of Arab Cinemas Marseille: Best Short Film of the Critics Jury; International Film Festival Rotterdam (2013)
Screened with Gaza Calling